Built in 2001 by a local liquor store owner over a natural spring, this whimsical roadside attraction expands on the traditional three wise monkeys by adding a fourth primate deep in thought. Visitors are invited to drink from the spigots below each statue clockwise to receive blessings of good fortune, fresh inspiration, and a taste of remarkably crisp local water. Homemade signs playfully tout the spring as having the most watery water in the world, making it a delightfully eccentric pit stop on the way into the historic city center. It offers a charming glimpse of grassroots Japanese folk humor paired with pure Yamagata spring water.
- Quirky Attractions
- Natural Springs
- Shrines
- Roadside Stops
- Statues
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